Supporting structure



Nov. 11, 1941.

H. w. o'r'row 2,262,114

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed April 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1941- H. w. OTTOW 2,262,114

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed April 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Henry W. Ottow, Minneapolis, Minn. Application April 24, 1940, Serial No. 331,282

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of supports and pertains particularly to a folding rack designed for the support of clothes for drying.

An object of the present invention is to provide a multiple arm foldable rack in which a novel means is provided for coupling said arms together at one end to a slide member by means of which member the arms are shifted on a vertically disposed support so as to cause the arms to assume a fanned out horizontal position or a folded substantially vertical position.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a support of the character stated, a coupling means for the ends of the several arms of the support which is designed in a novel manner whereby the assembling of the arms and their attachment to the actuating slide or runner may be effected with a minimum of labor and expense.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a View in side elevation of the support or rack embodying the present invention showing the same in folded condition.

Fig. 2 is a View on an enlarged scale of the rack in unfolded or operative position and with parts in vertical section, the section being taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through the runner and arm coupling plate showing the latter in a partially completed condition.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the arm coupling plate as shown in Fig. 4 in plan and the coupling ring which, in the completed structure, is joined to the plate.

Fig. 6 is a bottom View of the top guide plate for the arms of the rack.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designates a plate body forming the top part of the rack and forming a support and guide for the plurality of arms 2 which constitute a part of the rack structure, as hereinafter described. This plate I constitutes the major portion of a disk of metal, being cut straight across upon one side of its radial center, as indicated, and provided at this straight side with the upstanding tongue 3, by which the plate is secured to a supporting surface such as the wall 4, so that the plate projects outwardly in perpendicular relation thereto. The rounded or circular peripheral portion of the plate is curved downwardly, as indicated at 5, and this downcurved portion is provided with a plurality of elongated radially extending slots Ii. At its center the plate I has an aperture 1 to receive the upper end of a guide rod 8. The lower end of the rod is secured in spaced relation with the supporting surface 4 by the angular bracket 9. Due to the disposition of the aperture 1 in spaced relation with the edge of the plate I, it will be seen that the guide rod 8 is maintained vertically in spaced parallel relation with the surface 4.

A central depression 1 formed around the aperture I receives a washer I0 against which bears the nut II which is threaded upon the upper end of the rod 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

The arms 2 are coupled with the rod 8 by a runner which is indicated generally by the numeral I2 and, as shown in Fig. 2, these arms pass through the slots 6 of the guide plate I and have bearing upon the lower edges I3 of the slots whereby, when the runner is pulled downwardly on the rod 8 from its raised position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, the arms will swing upwardly so as to assume the positions shown in Fig. 1, when the runner reaches the lowermost position on the rod. In other words, the arms fulcrum against the bearing edges I3 of the slots when their inner ends are pulled downwardly, and when these ends are forced upwardly with the runner, the arms merely ride across these edges until they come to a horizontal position.

Due to the depressed central part 1 of the plate I against which the inner ends of the arms 2 bear when they are at the limit of their upward movement, the arms will be maintained horizontally in the fanned out relation in which they are shown in Fig.3.

The runner I2 comprises a cylinder I4 through which extends a sleeve I5. At the lower end of the cylinder I 4, an annular plate I6 is disposed which encircles the sleeve I5 and is held against the lower end of the cylinder by having the end of the sleeve I5 swaged outwardly thereover as indicated at I1.

The sleeve I5 also extends beyond the upper end of the cylinder I 4 and through the aperture l8 of a plate which is indicated generally by the numeral l9 and which cooperates with a ring 29 to couple the inner ends of the arms with the sleeve and cylinder. The plate I9 is initially formed or cut from a fiat sheet of metal and is pressed around the central aperture l8 thereof to provide a raised shoulder 2| which extends partway around the aperture, as shown in Fig. 5. From between the ends of the raised shoulder 2 l, the plate projects outwardly to form the horizontal finger guard wing 22.

From the outer edge of the shouldered portion 2| of the plate there extend a number of tongues 23 which in Figs, 4 and 5 are shown as being directed upwardly from the shoulder. The tongues in this position are in partly folded condition, having been bent from an initial position in which they parallel the wing 22 to the vertical position in which they are here shown.

The ring 20 passes through apertures 24 formed in the inner ends of the arms 2 and after the arms have been coupled with the ring in the manner shown in Fig. 3, the ring is disposed upon the shoulder 20 with the arms grouped so that they all lie in closely spaced relation between the ends of the shoulder and over the wing 22. The tongues 23 are then bent over as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to lock the ring to the plate.

The upper end of the sleeve l5 extends through the aperture l8 of the plate and is svvaged over as indicated at 24 in Fig. 4, so as to lock the plate 19 firmly against the upper end of the cylinder l4.

Since the runner rod 8 is detachably coupled with the plate I and the bracket 9 in the manner shown in Fig, 2, it will be readily apparent that after the arms and runner have been assembled, the rod may be run through the sleeve l5 and through the ring to which the arms are attached after which the ends of the arms may be inserted into their respective guide slots 6 of the top guide plate I and the ends of the rod then coupled to the plate and bracket, as illustrated.

Encircling the rod 8 beneath the runner is a coiled spring 25 which functions as a shock absorber when the runner is pulled down on the rod in the process of folding the arms to inoperaive position.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that there has been here set forth a new and novel form or construction of runner for a device of this kindby which the arms may be coupled with the guide rod to facilitate swinging the arms to operative or inoperative position. This coupling means is so designed that the parts may be easily and inexpensively stamped from sheet metal and assembled quickly and without requiring special tools.

What is claimed is:

1. In a support of the character stated having a guide rod, a plurality of arms and a guide means for said arms whereby the same may be moved to operative and inoperative position, a runner for coupling the arms with said rod, comprising a cylindrical body, a plate member secured to the cylindrical body atone end to extend transversely thereof and having an aperture concentric with the cylindrical body, the cylindrical body being slidable upon the rod, said plate memher having a wing portion extending outwardly from the cylindrical body and having an upstanding shoulder lying in a plane above the wine, the shoulder extending only partially around the aperture of the plate, a ring member having said arms pivotally connected therewith, the ring being disposed upon the shoulder with said arms lying in grouped relation above the wing, and tongue members integral with said shoulder and turned over the ring to secure the latter at the end of the cylindrical body and in encircling relation with the rod.

2. A device of the character stated, includin a guide rod, a guide member supported upon an end of the rod and a plurality of arms slidably extending through the guide member, means for coupling said arms at one end with the rod comprising a sleeve encircling the rod and slidable thereon, a ring passing through apertures in adjacent ends of the arms and encircling the rod, the arms all being grouped in side by side relation on the ring and tongues carried upon and secured to an end of the sleeve upon the side of the ring away from the grouped ends of the arms and bent over said ring to maintain the same in a plane spaced from and extending across the adjacent end of the sleeve.

3. A runner unit for slidably coupling a plurality of arms with a guide, comprising a tubular body, a plate having an aperture and having an end of the body secured thereto concentrically with said aperture, said plate having a fanshaped wing extending away from the body, the plate being formed toprovide an arcuate shoulder around the side of the aperture away from the wing and having its top in a plane above the wing, said shoulder being adapted to support a ring with which said arms are swingingly coupled, and bendable tongues carried by the plate along the arc of the shoulder to be turned down over a ring on the shoulder.

4. A runner unit for slidably coupling a plurality of arms with a guide, comprising a tubular body, a plate having an aperture and having an end of the tubular body extended through the aperture, said plate having a fan-shaped wing extending away from the body, the plate being formed to provide an arcuate shoulder around the side of the aperture away from the wing and having its top in a plane above the wing, said shoulder being adapted to support a ring with which said arms are swingingly coupled, bendable tongues carried by the plate along the arc of the shoulder to be turned down over a ring on the shoulder, a second plate having an aperture through which the other end of the tubular body extends, a sleeve encircling the tubular body and maintaining said plates in spaced relation, and said tubular body having each of its ends swaged over against a face of the adjacent plate whereby the said plates are secured against the adjacent ends of the sleeve.

HENRY W. OTTOW. 

